Final Fantasy Live-Action TV Series Announced

The epic storytelling of the Final Fantasy series of games will soon transition into television. Sony Pictures Television and Hivemind Productions have revealed they are partnering with Square Enix to develop a live-action adaptation of Final Fantasy XIV.

The TV series will be set in Eorzea, the same setting as the 14th main installment of the video game series. The show will feature many elements that players are long familiar with, including Chocobos and the live-action debut of Cid.

Final Fantasy XIV is an MMORPG, following all the standard aspects from the franchise, such as godlike beings, impending doom, magic, airships, and protagonists trying to save the world from being blown up. Following a rough launch in 2010, FFXIV was re-released in 2013 and has since established itself among the subscription-based MMOs on the market. The news of a TV show comes just ahead of the launch of the game's next expansion, Shadowbringers.

"Final Fantasy XIV and Eorzea are the perfect gateway into Final Fantasy for longtime fans and newcomers alike," said Sony Pictures Television Co-President Chris Parnell. "This show is about embracing and embodying all of the elements that have made the mythos such an endlessly captivating phenomenon, and it's an immense honor to be bringing all of Eorzea's iconic characters, settings, and concepts – including fan-favorites like Cid and, of course, the chocobos--to life for a television audience."

Ben Lustig and Jake Thornton will write for the series and serve as executive producers alongside Jason F. Brown, Sean Daniel, and Dinesh Shamdasani of Hivemind. This isn't the only piece of TV content being produced by Hivemind at the moment. Aside from Amazon's The Expanse, the production company is also working on an adaptation of The Witcher for Netflix, which will reportedly release on the streaming service this fall. The series will star Freya Allan (Into the Badlands) as Ciri, Anya Chalotra (Wanderlust) as Yennefer, and Henry Cavill as Geralt of Rivia. The first season is currently in production in Hungary.

Final Fantasy was previously adapted for the animated movie Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within. Released in 2001, it was widely panned and performed poorly at the box office. In 2017, there was also the live-action TV mini-series Final Fantasy XIV: Dad of Light, following a father and son connecting through the MMORPG.